Joe Napsha stories, Page 23
Guided wildflower walks set for Braddock’s Trail Park
Nature lovers who enjoy seeing wildflowers can join the Wildflower Walks at Braddock’s Trail Park of Robbins Station Road in North Huntingdon. The guided walks are led by local experts and gives participants the opportunity to learn about the natural beauty the park, according to the North Huntingdon Parks and...
Norwin Lions to present murder mystery theater
Fans of murder mysteries can have dinner and be entertained at the Norwin Lions’ “Death and Taxes” show April 20 at the Circleville Fire Department’s social hall. The show is at 5:30 p.m. at 129 Robbins Station Road, North Huntingdon. Tickets are $50 per person, which covers the admission to...
Norwin students plan dinner for senior citizens, signup deadline is Wednesday
Norwin senior citizens can enjoy a free meal and entertainment April 21 at Norwin Senior High School, McMahon Avenue, North Huntingdon, courtesy of the Norwin Student Council. The meal for Norwin residents age 55 and older will be held from 1 to 3:30 pm. The theme of the event is...
Westmoreland flood damage may not be bad enough for disaster declaration
As bad as the flood was for some Westmoreland County residents whose appliances, furnaces and other items in their basements were ruined by flood waters Wednesday, the losses may not rise to the level needed to be declared a disaster, which releases government aid, a county official said Friday. “Westmoreland...
Former East Huntingdon plant workers left with $40K in medical bills despite judge’s order
Former workers of a shuttered East Huntingdon metalworking company are waiting for the firm’s owner to pay about $40,000 in overdue medical bills incurred after they found out they were without insurance. U.S. Judge Robert Colville ordered Robert H. Kendi, president of the Ken-Co Fabricating Co. Inc., to “immediately pay”...
Too familiar: Residents near creeks, streams begin flood cleanup
Pamela Courie reached her breaking point Thursday when it began raining again. She and her husband spent hours tearing apart and throwing away flood-damaged pieces of their Lowber home after Sewickley Creek overflowed its banks Wednesday and came rushing in. “I want to move. I’m too sick to do this....
Widespread flooding in Westmoreland: homes flooded, roads closed
Widespread flooding Wednesday throughout Westmoreland County closed roads, flooded basements, required the rescue of some people and stranded others. Drenching rain the past three days that totaled 3 to 5 inches across the region pushed streams and rivers over their banks. Among the hardest-hit areas were the villages of Lowber,...
‘It’s a real shock’ friend says of fatal North Huntingdon dirt bike crash
A 19-year-old former Norwin High School student and a 16-year-old Norwin sophomore who were killed over the weekend in a dirt bike crash were mourned by classmates and friends Monday while donations poured in to help the families. The victims, Adam Bilinsky, 19, and Colin Bargiel, 16, both of North Huntingdon,...
North Irwin bridge project lands funding; work may begin in 2026
A new bridge over a ravine and railroad bed in North Irwin could be built in two years if plans hold true, a PennDOT official said this past week. The Fourth Street Bridge has been closed for a decade and was removed last year. As some residents await its replacement,...
Westmoreland GOP commissioners again nix drop boxes for mail-in ballots
Westmoreland County’s two Republican commissioners denied a request from several voters to install drop boxes throughout the county in advance of the April 23 primary. Commissioners heard from seven voters during the elections board meeting Thursday who urged them to approve drop-off boxes for mail-in ballots. Neither of the two...
New women’s clothing store opens in Irwin
An Irwin store owner is betting that she can fill a niche in the market for clothing for plus-size women’s store. Stacey Larkin of North Huntingdon, recently opened her store, She’s All That & More at 606 Oak St. in downtown Irwin. “It’s a boutique without the boutique prices. It’s...
Norwin nurse honored with state recognition
Norwin’s certified school nurse has been chosen as the Southwest Region School Nurse of Excellence by a statewide school nursing organization. Anita Miklos, who has been a school nurse at Norwin since 1999, was selected for the honor recently by the Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners. The person...
Solar power for New Kensington, Harrison area buildings could save nearly $45 million over 25 years
Owners of 54 buildings in the New Kensington and Harrison areas could save nearly $45 million on their electric bills over the next 25 years if they unlocked the solar power potential of their properties, according to a Pittsburgh nonprofit. “Nonprofits (would be) able to direct more funding toward their...
North Huntingdon VFW Post raising money to renovate Kattic Pavilion
A 28-year-old pavilion named in honor of a former commander of the J. Howard Snyder Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 781 needs to be renovated, and the organization has launched an effort to raise $25,000 to do the work. Post commander Kory Bulloch said the goal is to make the...
Norwin area: Library to host Victorian program; card party, fashion show planned
Library program focuses on Victorian Age An educator from the Frick Pittsburgh Museum and Gardens will discuss the history and etiquette of entertaining guests with tea and parlor games, which became extremely popular during the Victorian Age, at 6 p.m. April 3 at the Norwin Public Library, 100 Caruthers Lane,...
Nonprofit finds Greensburg, Jeannette areas could save $19M over 25 years by switching to solar
A Pittsburgh nonprofit mapped the solar power potential of about 40 institutional buildings — schools, fire halls and government offices — in the Greensburg and Jeannette areas, finding the owners could save about $770,000 in one year on their electric bills and $19.3 million in 25 years if they switch...
Ligonier Valley Historical Society to hold Tastes of Town fundraiser
The Ligonier Valley Historical Society’s Tastes of the Town is set to return on April 18 at The Barn at Ligonier on Springer Road in Ligonier. Among those slated to offer food at the fundraiser are Carol & Dave’s Roadhouse, The Creamery at Pleasant Lane Farms, The Eastwood Inn, El...
Quicker response needed for those in crisis, transportation options lacking, providers say
Social service providers say individuals in mental health crisis or challenged by drug and alcohol abuse need better access to both mobile and on-site treatment. “We have to ensure that the services for crisis support is easy and seamless for anyone in crisis,” Robert Hamilton, director of the county’s Department...
Area real estate agents await impact of $418 million settlement over structuring commission fees
The proposed settlement of a nationwide class-action lawsuit over the commissions that sellers pay in a real estate transaction could lead to more confusion for some when it comes time to sell property, said a veteran Westmoreland County real estate agent. “It will cause more problems for the public who...
Latrobe, Irwin churches plan Last Supper reenactments
Churches in Latrobe and Irwin will be performing reenactments of The Last Supper during Holy Week. A living tableau depicting the final supper and evening of Jesus Christ’s life on earth will be performed by 12 men of the Latrobe Presbyterian Church at 7:30 p.m. March 28 in the church...
Terrelle Pryor sells Penn Township home for more than $400K
Former Jeannette High School football and basketball star Terrelle Pryor has sold his home in Penn Township for $412,500, according to filing with the Westmoreland County Recorder of Deeds. Pryor, 34 sold his home at 6001 Augusta Lane in the Blackthorne Estates plan to Kowshik Morishetty and his wife, Sai...
Sheetz seeking 800 employees for Pennsylvania stores
Convenience store chain Sheetz Inc. is competing with other stores, restaurants and businesses that are looking to add to their workforce, only it is hoping to attract about 800 employees for its more than 300 stores across the state, the company said Thursday. Sheetz said it will have a hiring...
Irwin reviews plans for event center expansion
Developers plan to expand the restaurant at the former Antonelli Event Center in Irwin with an enclosure of what had been an open air seating area and the addition of a new outdoor patio. The proposed changes were presented to the Irwin Planning Commission. The project will encompass 1,620 square...
Norwin assistant superintendent’s new 5-year deal is too costly, school board member says
Norwin’s assistant superintendent received a five-year contract Monday, but not before a school board member questioned whether the salary in her new deal was too high. Natalie McCracken, who has been the assistant superintendent since 2019, was approved for the new contract on a 6-1 vote, with one abstention by...
Norwin seeks public input in superintendent search
Norwin officials who will choose the next school superintendent will hear what residents want in a new district leader during a community focus group meeting on March 26. Tom Templeton, owner of Templeton Advantage LLC of Newport, an educational executive search firm, will lead the discussion at the public forum...
